In the midst of the global credit crisis, an increasing number of manufacturers are saturating the market with products with no distinguishing features and are only competing on price. Taiwan-based Etrovision Technology has a different philosophy. With a clear focus on professional security, the company pays attention to even the smallest detail and always looks to enhance ease of use and reliability of its comprehensive IP product range.

In the midst of the global credit crisis, an increasing number of manufacturers are saturating the market with products with no distinguishing features and are only competing on price. Taiwan-based Etrovision Technology has a different philosophy. With a clear focus on professional security, the company pays attention to even the smallest detail and always looks to enhance ease of use and reliability of its comprehensive IP product range.

To Sung-Chin Shen, President of Etrovision Technology, many providers of security solutions are now engaged in a trench warfare where price slashing seems to be the only way out. "We are in the business of professional security, and that means we really need to understand user needs and provide users with easy-to-use solutions at the best total cost of ownership (TCO) possible." Take IP-enabled EtroLink. It allows for CCTV-like installation, dramatically reducing installation time by 70 percent.

As the transition to IP progresses, DVRs with little-to-no differentiation appear to be at the greatest risk. “The third generation of IP surveillance is opening up much more opportunities as suppliers look to extend applications of their products,” said Shen. "DVRs with similar designs will have a tougher time weathering this storm. IP, on the other hand, is still growing, but just more slowly." Shen believes that more functionalities and applications can come from creative R&D, further reducing total cost and boosting revenues. An example of this is the fact that more security systems are now maintained by IT professionals. "You can streamline processes, but you would still need devices to keep an organization running. IP know-how helps manufacturers yield solutions that allow users to achieve goals more cost-effectively."

R&D That Stands OutDespite the credit crunch, Etrovision has doubled its R&D team in the last six months, in preparation for more strategic alliances and product differentiation. "From the very beginning, we have designed all our products with our customers' needs and habits in mind." From port positions and SDKs to standardized hardware modules, Etrovision's designs satisfy various user requirements and minimize stock requirements.

The company is now allies with its component suppliers and software partners, endeavoring to develop a multipurpose, application-oriented platform. "Our completely new, revolutionary product line will be ready in the next three to four months," Shen said proudly. "It's built on Etrovision's trusted reliability, but for much more applications."

Now ISO9001-certified, Etrovision is considering promoting more of its own branded products. Through modulized designs, the company effectively maximizes its R&D efforts and reduces time to market, offering complete product lines (with more than 20 models) in both MPEG-4 and H.264 compression formats. "It's difficult to establish a brand and build its value, but this is something everyone at Etrovision works toward every day as it's the only way out of the vicious circle of cutthroat price competition," concluded Shen.